SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Pulls The Mayor; Hulu Adds 90s Animated Favorites

Saturday, January 06, 2018

SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Pulls The Mayor; Hulu Adds 90s Animated Favorites

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're just beginning to get back to normal this week and will have even more for you next week with the TCA Winter Press Tour beginning. This week, we're learning about the (unofficial) cancellation of an ABC comedy, the death of a Grace Under Fire star, and it's been a busy week for Netflix and Hulu. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

It isn't totally official yet, but it looks like ABC may have impeached (or as they normally say in television, canceled) The Mayor after nine episodes, as it has been pulled from the lineup. (Entertainment Weekly)
Alex Trebek is taking a bit of a break from Jeopardy! tapings due to a health scare, but he'll be back to taping new episodes soon enough that you won't even notice that he was gone. (NPR)
Hoda Kotb is officially the new co-host of NBC's Today. (New York Times)
Jon Paul Steuer, who is known from his role on Star Trek: The Next Generation and to sitcom fans for playing the first Quentin Kelly on Grace Under Fire, died this week at age 33. (Variety)
The 300th episode of Family Guy will air on FOX next weekend, and an extended episode with limited commercials is planned for March. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA RELEASES (JANUARY 9)

Girlfriends - The Complete Series (DVD, $55.98): Every episode of this sitcom arrives on DVD in this value priced selection.

WEEKLY PLANNER (JANUARY 6 - JANUARY 12)

You can binge watch some of the biggest animated series of the 90s on Hulu now, as they have added Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Tiny Toon Adventures, and (we guess just for completion since it was a "jump the shark" merger of two shows) Pinky Elmyra and the Brain.
David Letterman's new talk show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, debuts Friday on Netflix with Barack Obama as his first guest, but instead of being able to binge watch episodes of this one as you can with most Netflix series, we'll instead get one new episode per month.
Even if it was sort of panned by critics and viewers alike, new episodes of the Netflix sitcom Disjointed arrive on Friday.
Alone Together, a new comedy produced by The Lonely Island, debuts Wednesday on Freeform.
Something that we overlooked in the Weekly Planner last week with all of the news about marathons and new schedules was the debut of Grown-ish on Freeform, but luckily in the era of non-linear television, it isn't too late to catch up on those episodes either on demand or on Hulu.
You can catch Get Smart all this weekend on the Weekend Binge on Decades.
Speaking of Decades, their theme for January is Lost TV, and you can catch Love That Bob and Life With Elizabeth every weekday, and in addition, you can find some very rare lost sitcoms on their lineup next week such as Pistols 'n' Petticoats, The Beulah Show, and Accidental Family.
Even though it isn't a "Lost TV" series, the series Lost has a new home on streaming media, on Hulu.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, October 20

The Goldbergs - "An Itch Like No Other" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
With Beverly’s encouragement, Mr. Glascott moves in next door to the Goldbergs and slowly goes from friendly neighbor to cluelessly intrusive. Adam and Murray become increasingly disgruntled while Beverly comes up with a plan to occupy Mr. Glascott’s time with a new friend, Mr. Woodburn. Meanwhile, Barry lands in urgent care with a case of poison ivy in a compromising area – his rear end. Erica and Geoff are called to task to take care of Barry and his ridiculous demands – inadvertently testing their parenting skills and patience with one another.

The Wonder Years - "The Lock In" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Dean is reluctant to attend the annual church lock-in until Kim tells him it’s where she got her first kiss. He enlists his friends to help him pair up with Keisa, but his plans are thwarted when he instead gets paired up with the pastor’s daughter, Charlene.

The Conners - "Trucking Live in Front of a Fully Vaccinated Studio Audience -- East Coast" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Lights, Camera, Action: “The Conners” is going live for both the East and West Coast broadcasts of the season four premiere episode. This iconic TV family continues to deal with the current pandemic while navigating breakups and newfound sobriety, all while planning an upcoming wedding.

Home Economics - "Giant Jenga, $120" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Tom spirals when Connor dates a woman who broke his heart at summer camp. Then, family game night becomes an all-or-nothing competition between Marina and Denise.

Superstar - "Robin Williams" (ABC, 10:00PM ET/PT)
The new episode recounts his life through Robin Williams’ own voice, describing “the spark of madness” which defined his life. From his early days in the San Francisco Bay Area comedy scene to his meteoric rise on “Mork & Mindy,” the one-hour special explores the experiences that made Williams into a one-of-a-kind talent and reveals what gave voice to the characters in his mind. It also chronicles the creative force driving critically acclaimed films like “Good Will Hunting” and “Dead Poets Society,” as well as fan favorites such as “Aladdin.” The special explores his personal struggles, including substance abuse and depression, and his battle with Lewy Body Dementia before his tragic death in 2014. “Superstar: Robin Williams” features interviews with famous comedians and actors who knew and admired Williams, including Margaret Cho, Howie Mandel, Lewis Black, Jimmie Walker, Paula Poundstone, Gina Hecht and Pauly Shore, as well as Barry Levinson, director of multiple films starring Williams including “Good Morning, Vietnam.” The program also contains interviews with Williams from the ABC News archives, in which he opens up about his life and the highs and lows of his distinguished career.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 18)

Wednesday, October 20

Rami Malek (The War at Home) - Watch Rami on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Issa Rae (Insecure) - Issa appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jamie Foxx (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Jamie Foxx Show) - Jamie appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm.
Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah guest hosts The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Debra Messing (Will & Grace/Ned & Stacey) - Debra talks about her latest project: how self-care can change the world on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Ron Howard (Arrested Development/Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) and Clint Howard (Gung Ho) - Ron and Clint discuss their new book, The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Amy Sedaris (No Activity/BoJack Horseman/Strangers with Candy) - It's a TV exclusive with sister and brother duo Amy and David Sedaris appearing together for the first time on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) - Jeremy talks about FBI on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
David Eigenberg (Sex and the City) - David talks about NBC's Chicago Fire on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick talks about Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.